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How to Deal with Clothes Moths in Your Stash

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Excellent tips for dealing with a moth infestation from the Zen of Making.It’s probably a nightmare of every crafty person who uses a lot of wool and natural fibers: a moth infestation.

Haley at the Zen of Making recently suffered through such an infestation, which caused the loss of a big chunk of her yarn, fabric and felt stashes and the necessity of cleaning her apartment from top to bottom to ensure that all the moth larvae were taken care of.

It’s a harrowing tale, but she’s very specific in talking about exactly what you need to do to stop moths that have invaded your home. She talks about what to do with yarn skeins, knit and crocheted items, fabric, clothing, bedding, furniture, rugs and more.

Vinegar, a vacuum, a good washing machine and lots of time are the tools you will need to win this battle. The knowledge that moths don’t care if your house is clean or dirty may also help.

Let’s hope this is not a problem you ever have to face, but if you do, you’ll want to have this guide at the ready. Thanks for sharing, Haley!

Have you ever dealt with moths? I’d love to hear if you have any tips to add.

[Photo via the Zen of Making.]

Comments

  2. Had an infestation about a month ago. Never did find out where exactly they were coming from, but I got cedar balls and blocks and put them in coat closet and cupboard where my cloths and stash were. Fingers crossed it seems to have worked … no moth sightings

Have you read?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]